Washington

  • April 24, 2025

    Tax Cos. Head To 9th Circ. Over IRS Worker Credit Denials

    Two tax assistance companies are appealing to the Ninth Circuit an Arizona federal court ruling denying their request to stop the IRS from issuing batch denials of thousands of pandemic-era worker credit claims, including those filed by their clients.

  • April 24, 2025

    Sullivan & Cromwell Guides Columbia Banking On $2B Deal

    Sullivan & Cromwell LLP is advising Columbia Banking System Inc., the parent company of Umpqua Bank, on an agreement to acquire Holland & Knight LLP-advised Pacific Premier Bancorp Inc. in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $2 billion.

  • April 23, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Passes Game Controller Patent Case Back To PTAB

    Video game developer Valve on Wednesday won yet another chance to convince patent board judges to look at its challenge to claims in a rival's video game controller patent asserted in litigation in Washington federal court.

  • April 23, 2025

    Wash. AG Tries To Move O'Reilly Pregnancy Bias Suit To Trial

    The Washington State Attorney General's Office is fighting O'Reilly Auto's recent bid to avoid trial in an employment discrimination case, pointing to evidence it claims shows the company "mocked and otherwise discriminated against pregnant workers, and retaliated against them for being pregnant."

  • April 23, 2025

    9th Circ. Asked To Modify Ruling In LA Port Co. Coverage Row

    A Los Angeles port operator's insurer asked a three-judge panel in the Ninth Circuit to rethink part of its decision ordering a jury trial on the amount of defense costs the operator incurred while litigating pollution claims brought by the city, arguing they improperly relied on a depublished decision.

  • April 23, 2025

    Non-Wash. Landlords Want Out Of Yardi Rent-Fixing Case

    A group of landlords pushed to be permanently dismissed from rent-fixing litigation against rent software company Yardi Systems Inc. and other parties, arguing that the presiding Washington federal court lacks personal jurisdiction over them since they're not connected to the state.

  • April 23, 2025

    Costco Hit With Suit Over iPhone Warranty Omissions

    Costco is the target of a proposed class action claiming the big box retailer sold iPhones without disclosures required under Washington state consumer protection laws, including omitting the terms of warranties and how much it costs for repairs.

  • April 22, 2025

    Justices Urged To Deny Jan. 6 Cops' Bid To Shield Identities

    The U.S. Supreme Court should reject an appeal from Seattle cops who joined the Jan. 6 "Stop the Steal" demonstration in D.C. and now want to stay incognito, according to a former law school student on Tuesday who sought police records identifying the officers and who said U.S. Supreme Court rules require the officers to seek relief in Washington state court. 

  • April 22, 2025

    9th Circ. Affirms Otonomo's Escape Of Calif. Car Tracking Suit

    The Ninth Circuit on Tuesday unanimously refused to revive a California man's proposed class action accusing autotech company Otonomo Inc. of surreptitiously tracking drivers' movements in violation of California privacy law, finding that a device installed in the man's BMW wasn't an "electronic tracking device" under the relevant state law.

  • April 22, 2025

    Customer Sues Amazon Over Burns From Heating Pad

    A woman who suffered second-degree burns and an infection after a heating pad bought on Amazon malfunctioned is looking to hold the online retailer responsible in Washington federal court for the product manufactured by a third party.

  • April 22, 2025

    Wash. Appeals Panel Revives State Patrol Commute Pay Suit

    Washington state troopers can sue their employer directly in superior court over alleged minimum wage violations before exhausting the grievance process under collective bargaining agreements, an Evergreen State appellate court said Tuesday, distinguishing the challenged policies from the union contracts.

  • April 22, 2025

    Panel Unsure If Suspension For Off-Campus Arrest Holds Up

    A Washington appellate court panel on Tuesday asked if Washington State University had the authority to suspend a student charged with conspiracy to riot at an off-campus Pride parade, with one judge questioning if an anonymous tip was too speculative to launch a student conduct probe.

  • April 22, 2025

    Insurer Says No Coverage For $668K Housing Funds Dispute

    An insurer says it owes no coverage to a low-income housing nonprofit in an underlying dispute involving a Washington county that seeks to claw back nearly $668,000 that was allegedly paid out to ineligible recipients.

  • April 22, 2025

    DOJ Wants Time During 9th Circ. Vegas Room Rate Arguments

    The U.S. Department of Justice has asked to participate in the Ninth Circuit argument for an appeal from Las Vegas casino-hotel guests accusing the operators of using software to inflate room rates, the first algorithmic price-fixing case to reach an appeals court.

  • April 22, 2025

    Death Suit Against Jet Ski Co. Meets Skeptical Wash. Panel

    A Washington state appellate panel expressed skepticism on Tuesday of a family's appeal in a wrongful death case against a jet ski rental shop, with one judge suggesting it was "total speculation" that the fatal accident was triggered by high winds the business should have warned patrons about.

  • April 21, 2025

    Binance Crypto Suit Sent To Florida To Avoid Duplication

    A Washington federal judge on Monday transferred to Florida a proposed class action over Binance's alleged role in laundering stolen cryptocurrency, finding that the case heavily overlapped with a lawsuit filed earlier in the Sunshine State that was sent to arbitration.

  • April 21, 2025

    En Banc 9th Circ. Revives Shopify Data Privacy Fight

    A split Ninth Circuit en banc panel Monday revived a proposed class action alleging Shopify violates privacy rights by embedding payment-processing code on merchant websites that surreptitiously tracks consumers' location and collects personal data, with a nearly unanimous majority finding the location-tracking allegations establish specific jurisdiction in the Golden State.

  • April 21, 2025

    DHS Voids Order Ousting Canadian Cannabis Machinery CEO

    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Monday urged a Washington federal judge to throw out a lawsuit accusing federal agents of illegally barring the Canadian CEO of a cannabis harvesting equipment company from entering the United States, citing the government's recent decision revoking a removal order against him.

  • April 21, 2025

    Premera's Teen Trans Policy 'Textbook' Sex Bias, Judge Says

    Premera Blue Cross discriminated based on sex against transgender teens at the center of a lawsuit alleging the insurer and health plan administrator illegally denied coverage for gender-affirming chest surgery, according to a Washington federal judge who also denied class certification because the teens' claims are not typical of class members.

  • April 21, 2025

    Pot Company Once Allied With Influencer Wants Rehearing

    A cannabis, spirits and vape company formerly associated with Instagram celebrity Dan Bilzerian is asking the Ninth Circuit for an en banc rehearing of a $1.6 million judgment against it, saying a panel of circuit judges ignored key facts when it found the company liable for breach of contract.

  • April 21, 2025

    Amazon Says Sanctions Unwarranted In Drivers' Wage Suit

    Potential members of a collective action accusing Amazon of misclassifying drivers were not coerced into talking to attorneys representing the company, Amazon told a Washington federal court, urging the court to reject the drivers' bid to slap sanctions on the company.

  • April 19, 2025

    Real Estate Recap: Q1 Dealmakers, Tariff Tension

    Catch up on this past week's key developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority — including the law firms that guided the 10 largest real estate deals of the first quarter, and how dealmakers and companies have been navigating uncertainty in the market.

  • April 18, 2025

    9th Circ. Won't Rethink Nixed Zillow, NAR Antitrust Case

    The Ninth Circuit won't be rethinking a panel decision refusing to revive a defunct brokerage platform's case accusing Zillow and the National Association of Realtors of anticompetitively relegating its listings from Zillow's main page.

  • April 18, 2025

    IP Notebook: AI Prompts, DMCA Battle, Squishmallows Scuffle

    Welcome to IP Notebook, a recurring series that highlights disputes and legal developments that raise novel or crucial questions in the trademark and copyright space.

  • April 18, 2025

    Boeing Bashed For 'Stonewalling' Discovery In 737 Fraud Suit

    Norwegian Air subsidiaries accusing Boeing of fraud in connection with jet purchase deals have urged a Washington federal judge to force the aerospace giant to hand over documents in the case, citing Boeing's apparent "playbook of repeated delay, resistance and obfuscation."

Expert Analysis

  • Considering Chevron's End Through A State Tax Lens

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    States took the lead in encouraging Chevron's demise, turning away from Chevron-type deference in state tax administration ahead of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Loper Bright decision, a trend likely to accelerate as courts take a more active role in interpreting tax laws, say attorneys at Eversheds Sutherland.

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Recent Rulings On Metadata

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    Several recent rulings reflect the competing considerations that arise when parties dispute the form of production for electronically stored information, underscoring that counsel must carefully consider how to produce and request reasonably usable data, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Comparing Antitrust Outlooks Amid Google Remedy Review

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    As the U.S. Justice Department mulls potential structural remedies after winning its recent case against Google, increased global scrutiny of Big Tech leaves ex post and ex ante antitrust approaches ripe for evaluation, say Nishant Chadha at the Indian School of Business and Manisha Goel at Pomona College.

  • Striking A Balance Between AI Use And Attorney Well-Being

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    As the legal industry increasingly adopts generative artificial intelligence tools to boost efficiency, leaders must note the hidden costs of increased productivity, and work to protect attorneys’ well-being while unlocking AI’s full potential, says Ed Sohn at Factor.

  • A Novel Expansion Of Alien Tort Statute In 9th Circ.

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    The Ninth Circuit's Doe v. Cisco rehearing denial allows a new invocation of the Alien Tort Statute to proceed, which could capture the U.S. Supreme Court's attention, and has potentially dramatic consequences for U.S. companies doing business with foreign governments, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

  • Empathy In Mediation Offers A Soft Landing For Disputes

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    Experiencing a crash-landing on a recent flight underscored to me how much difference empathy makes in times of crisis or stress, including during mediation, says Eydith Kaufman at Alternative Resolution Centers.

  • Series

    Being An Artist Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My work as an artist has highlighted how using creativity and precision together — qualities that are equally essential in both art and law — not only improves outcomes, but also leads to more innovative and thoughtful work, says Sarah La Pearl at Segal McCambridge.

  • How Judiciary Can Minimize AI Risks In Secondary Sources

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    Because courts’ standing orders on generative artificial intelligence and other safeguards do not address the risk of hallucinations in secondary source materials, the judiciary should consider enlisting legal publishers and database hosts to protect against AI-generated inaccuracies, say attorneys at Lankler Siffert & Wohl.

  • How Attorneys Can Break Free From Career Enmeshment

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    Ambitious attorneys can sometimes experience career enmeshment — when your sense of self-worth becomes unhealthily tangled up in your legal vocation — but taking the time to discover and realign with your core personal values can help you recover your identity, says Janna Koretz at Azimuth Psychological.

  • Where Can Privacy Plaintiffs Sue When Injury Is Online?

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    Website owners need to understand wiretapping laws to understand whether they may be sued for activity tracking in California or Pennsylvania courts, where the statutory damages for violations of half-century-old laws can be substantial — and a recent Third Circuit decision suggests establishing specific jurisdiction is not as easy as 1-2-3, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

  • Lawyers With Disabilities Are Seeking Equity, Not Pity

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    Attorneys living with disabilities face extra challenges — including the need for special accommodations, the fear of stigmatization and the risk of being tokenized — but if given equitable opportunities, they can still rise to the top of their field, says Kate Reder Sheikh, a former attorney and legal recruiter at Major Lindsey & Africa.

  • Opinion

    Judicial Committee Best Venue For Litigation Funding Rules

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    The Advisory Committee on Civil Rules' recent decision to consider developing a rule for litigation funding disclosure is a welcome development, ensuring that the result will be the product of a thorough, inclusive and deliberative process that appropriately balances all interests, says Stewart Ackerly at Statera Capital.

  • The Strategic Advantages Of Appointing A Law Firm CEO

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    The impact on law firms of the recent CrowdStrike outage underscores that the business of law is no longer merely about providing supplemental support for legal practice — and helps explain why some law firms are appointing dedicated, full-time CEOs to navigate the challenges of the modern legal landscape, says Jennifer Johnson at Calibrate Strategies.

  • Series

    Beekeeping Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The practice of patent law and beekeeping are not typically associated, but taking care of honeybees has enriched my legal practice by highlighting the importance of hands-on experience, continuous learning, mentorship and more, says David Longo at Oblon McClelland.

  • Amazon Holiday Pay Case Underscores Overtime Challenges

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    The recent Hamilton v. Amazon.com Services LLC decision in the Colorado Supreme Court underscores why employers must always consult applicable state law and regulations — in addition to federal law — when determining how to properly pay employees who work more than 40 hours in a workweek, says James Looby at Vedder Price.

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